Lens cleaning fluid?

slackercruster · Feb 11, 2012

Was told breathing fog from your mouth on your lenses can be corrosive? So looking for some cleaning fluid.

I looked at some Zeiss fluid at Walmart...made in China! Zeiss has gone to hell!!

Kinetronics $6.50 fluid at B&H looks to be just rubbing alcohol. (From info at the Kintronics site.)

What do you use to clean your lenses with?

SCraig · Feb 11, 2012

If I use any fluid, which is very, very seldom, it's distilled water and alcohol.

slackercruster · Feb 11, 2012

SCraig said:
If I use any fluid, which is very, very seldom, it's distilled water and alcohol.

What is a good mix...50% / 50%?

SCraig · Feb 11, 2012

That's probably close to what I use. I use some little spray bottles and don't reaally measure it. Just pour in some water and then some alcohol, about half and half.

tirediron · Feb 11, 2012

I've been using breath to clean lenses for 30+ years with never a sign of a problem. In that time, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've had to use a cleaning fluid. On those rare occasions, distilled water has always been enough.

Garbz · Feb 12, 2012

slackercruster said:
Was told breathing fog from your mouth on your lenses can be corrosive?

Breathing fog? I.e. condensation on the lens? It's about as pure as good old H2O can get. There's nothing remotely corrosive about it.

On top of that lens coatings are INCREDIBLY resilient to all sorts of chemicals. Pure Alcohol? No problem (actually this is probably the best choice if you're really paranoid). Liquefied Hydrocarbons? Bring it on. Just don't put any ammonia based cleaners on your lens.

On an incidental note I once did something that involved removing a vacuum baked coating from a sheet of glass. I threw pretty much every chemical I could find in the house including all sorts of harsh cleaners at it and it didn't come of. I ended up scratching it off with an aluminium oxide based car polish.

chuasam · Feb 12, 2012

slackercruster said:
Was told breathing fog from your mouth on your lenses can be corrosive. (From info at the Kintronics site.)

What do you use to clean your lenses with?

Probably because they wanted to sell you some overpriced cleaner.
Zeiss has gone to hell AGES ago. Zeiss Microscopes (the lower end ones) are made in China by a Chinese company and Zeiss merely stamps their name on it. Zeiss Nikon mounts - made by Contax. Zeiss/Sony ...made in China. Zeiss should really call themselves Scheisse at this rate

OH yeah, Cleaning fluid. I use ROR. Screen Cleaner | Lens Cleaner | LCD Screen Cleaner

Your breath corrosive? That depends on what you ate prior to breathing on your lenses.

KmH · Feb 12, 2012

Garbz said:
slackercruster said:

Was told breathing fog from your mouth on your lenses can be corrosive?

Click to expand...

Breathing fog? I.e. condensation on the lens? It's about as pure as good old H2O can get. There's nothing remotely corrosive about it.

Amen brother!

(OMG! He has ..........Acid Breath!)

apples · Feb 12, 2012

a 70-90% solution of ethanol or isopropanol works well for glass; apply to lens paper or those little cloths that come with your glasses and rub til dry

while breath isnt corrosive to the glass, it can cause moisture build up if you arnt careful or overdo it, which can cause fungal growth, which will eat your glass...so ive heard...

Garbz · Feb 13, 2012

apples said:
it can cause moisture build

Hate to mention the obvious, but this is kinda the point

Seriously though fungus is a problem in horrendously humid and dark environments where your gear does not get used. I've never seen or heard of a lens in active use start having a fungal problem, and any lens storage should naturally be accompanied with silica gel anyway. The only lens I ever had a fungal problem with spent 5 years in a cupboard without being touched. It's also why buying second hand gear on ebay can be hit and miss in the fungal regard, it's mostly stuff people don't use anymore and want to get rid of.